


I'll Give You My Heart

by Zonela358



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: AU, Angst, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Memories, Past Lives, Reincarnation, Scala ad Caelum, reincarnation/past-lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:55:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25829290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zonela358/pseuds/Zonela358
Summary: Keyblades are forged from the heart. A fragmented memory thrown into the fire and shaped to perfectly fit the wilder, but until the keyblade is made, a blacksmith and an apprentice cannot fall in love.
Relationships: Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 43
Collections: Re⊕Collect: A Soriku Fic Collection





	I'll Give You My Heart

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was made for the Re:Collect Soriku Zine, so please check out the entire collection for numerous marvelous fanfictions!  
> The artwork for this piece was made by the lovely Faux! <3 You can check out their artwork here: https://twitter.com/TheFauxsynder

It’s the finest details that matter when crafting a keyblade; both in the blade and the memory that accompanies it. At least, that’s what Sora’s teachings always focused on. He watched his master carefully chisel, carve, and shape these magnificent blades for years, and now, he was on the verge of being able to do it all by himself.

Sora could feel the beads of sweat on his temple roll downwards, growing in size as they absorbed one another upon touch. He wiped his face as his master towered over him with judgmental eyes.

Wielders gave blacksmiths all sorts of memories and he was told to be prepared for anything: from the childhood joys of eating a home-cooked meal after playing all day to the brutality of war and death. This one, though, was from a man who obviously cherished the simpler things in life—the spontaneous moments that sparked more joy than anything else could. The memory he entrusted to Sora was that in which he proposed to his wife. Nothing remarkable happened—he hadn’t even planned it. No ring, no speech. He just got down on one knee during one of their casual walks by the edge of the water because, to him, it just felt like the perfect time.

Sora loved making this keyblade; not for its shape, but for its colors. It was a mixture of the vibrant blues of the ocean and the green of the woman’s eyes. Oh, how they swirled together to form a beautiful harmony that could only come from the purest form of love there is. He sighed joyfully as his mind began to wander to the times he had been held or shared a laugh with—

“Sora.”

“O-oh!” Sora’s eyes snapped with a blink as he shook his head. “Sorry,” he said as he forced his attention back to finishing carving the swirls on the blade’s metal.

“I think that’s enough for today,” his master said in an unreadable tone.

“But Master Yen Sid, I am so close to being done, I can—”

“When you cannot give your entire focus to a keyblade, it is a disrespect to the hearts you have been melding. If you are unable to work at your full capacity, then it is best to stop for the safety of the wielder.”

Sora had heard this lesson many times over and it never got less frustrating. It was one thing to call it a day when he was just at the start, but towards the end felt like torture. Regardless, Sora knew from experience there was no winning an argument against Yen Sid.

He sighed and pulled off his apron and gloves. “Yeah, yeah. Okay,” he said as he grabbed a pail to fetch water in.

Inside the next room was a man lying unconscious on the bed and breathing heavily as a fever heated up his body. Sora sat down next to his bed and dunked a towel in the cool water before wringing it out and placing it on his forehead. “You are looking better today,” Sora said with a softhearted smile. “Don’t worry—you’ll be feeling better soon, I promise.”

“He’s been holding up rather well, Sora,” Master Yen Sid started as he stood in the doorway. “You’re doing a wonderful job taking care of him.”

Sora’s face grew sheepish as he tried to hold onto his smile. “R-really? I feel like I could be doing more.”

“We all wish we could do more when we see them in pain, but everyone knows what they sign up for when they decide to become a keyblade wielder. They know they are putting their own heart in that forge and they know how hard they must fight the pain to stay alive and healthy. It’s the true mark of a keyblade wielder.”

As Sora’s glance stayed locked onto the rise and fall of the man’s chest, he couldn’t help but wonder: how did it feel to be constantly battling the intense temperatures of the forge from within your own heart? How painful was it to feel every hit of the hammer against your own being? Sora could always hear their groans, and even screams of pain, from his workstation, but all he felt was the vibrations of yet another piece of metal he was working with.

Then, there was a knock at the door which broke Sora out of his thoughts, and he dried off his hands before making his way to go answer it. Without even so much as a breath, Sora knew exactly what Yen Sid was thinking as he passed him:

_When you have your own blacksmith shop, you’ll have dozens of responsibilities to attend to. You’ll need to learn how to balance them all by yourself, and I will not always be here to remind you of your duties to sweep the floor or answer the door or tend the fire, so practice them now while you have the chance._

Sora nearly rolled his eyes—his master’s teachings were so engraved into his mind that they played on repeat like a song stuck in his head. Though, he supposed that was the point.

He brushed off any remaining dust and charcoal that he could before answering the door.

“I have a package for... Sora?” the postman said with little to no care, but all the same, Sora’s heart skipped a beat.

“That’s me!” he said, trying to resist the urge to jump with excitement.

The man handed over the small, neatly wrapped box, and Sora gave him a wave before shutting the door and immediately tearing open the white wrappings. Normally, Sora would savior every curve and bump of the package before he slowly unfolded the wrappings from each of the corners, but after so long, he didn’t have enough patience to hold in all his passion.

However, his large smile soon dropped into a confused stare. All there was in the box was a leaf and a small note that read: _Look outside._

He lifted his head as he gently dropped the box on the table. With a frown, he pulled the door open and stepped out into the patterned sunlight that was blocked by the tree that pleasantly loomed over the shop. He glanced around only to find nothing around him except for the usual scenery of Scala. He put a hand on his hip and made a face as he took another look at the note. “Look outside? What—”

Before he could finish that thought, he felt a pair of hands seize his hips and lift him high into the air, spinning in a fast circle. Sora let out a yelp of nervous, yet excited laughter.

“Okay! Okay! Put me down!” Sora shouted.

He heard a deep, soft chuckle that rang familiar and made his heart warm up with happiness. “Nope!” the voice said before flipping Sora around and pulling him into a big, kind of sloppy, kiss with his arms wrapped tight around Sora’s waist, his feet still dangling far off the ground.

“Stop!” Sora said, failing to hide his laughter as he tried to wiggle his way out of the hug and push the kiss away. “My master is _right_ there, Riku!”

“Just one more kiss,” Riku said as he pressed his lips to Sora’s cheek before blowing a raspberry, causing Sora to laugh boisterously.

Then, Riku lowered Sora, and he felt his feet smoothly reunite with the ground. Sora took a deep breath to try and collect himself from the giggles interrupting his breathing. He beamed up at Riku and opened his mouth to say something, but then lost focus as he took a good look at him. He couldn’t help but notice how much Riku had changed in the months he’d been gone. He was taller, his muscles were bigger and more toned, his long silver hair that used to cover his face had been cut into beautiful spiky layers, and even his eyes seemed to glow a different color.

“You okay?” Riku said with a mixture of concern and joy, snapping Sora out of it.

“S-sorry.” Sora had no idea how long he’d been staring, but it was long enough to make his cheeks glow a honey pink. Sora cleared his throat and said, “It’s... been so long that’s all.”

“I know,” Riku said as he gently pinched a bit of Sora’s hair between his fingers before pushing it behind his ear. Sora fully leaned into his hand—oh, how he missed his touch. “I am happy to be back.”

“Speaking of,” Sora started, “I thought training didn’t end for another few months?”

Riku smirked, his posture beaming with confidence. “Well, my master thought I was performing exceptionally well and believed I was ready for my keyblade.”

“Already? No way!”

“Yup! He said I had a natural talent.”

“Wow, Riku... I am so proud of you!” Sora leapt into Riku’s arms, hugging him tightly as he nuzzled his face into his neck. “You know, I am about to move to the next level myself.”

Riku grabbed Sora’s shoulders and pushed him back slightly from the hug. “Wait, does this mean—”

“Yeah!” Sora’s grin grew bigger as he looked into Riku’s soft emerald eyes. “Give me a few more weeks and I could make your keyblade, Riku!”

Sora watched Riku take a deep breath as his face gleamed with joy before tugging him back into the hug, squeezing him tightly, but comfortably. “This is _perfect_. There is no one else I would want crafting it, but—”

That word shivered through Sora’s spine as he made a face and looked up at Riku. “But?”

“On one condition,” Riku said, holding up a single finger. Raising a brow, Sora said, “And what would that be?”

“You have to go on one date and share a special fruit with me after I get my keyblade.”

Sora sighed and took a step back. “Riku, you know we—”

“There was this beautiful world I visited and there is this legend there—”

“Riku!” Sora cupped Riku’s cheeks, accidentally causing him to squish his lips together. Sora’s serious expression turned into a fit of giggles. “Sorry, sorry. That ended up looking funnier than I expected. But Riku, we are already breaking the rules enough as it is, don’t you think it is a bit dangerous to go on a date now of all times?”

“That’s why I said _after_ I get my keyblade. Those rules won’t apply to us once it’s made.” Riku tapped his temple with a smirk that made Sora playfully roll his eyes. “So? What do you say?”

“Well, of course my answer is yes, but until then...”

“I suppose we should avoid each other,” Riku finished, because it was far too difficult for Sora to admit. Sora’s smile dropped as he felt Riku’s hand cup the back of his head and pull him towards his chest. He felt Riku plant a small kiss on the top of his head. “We’ll get through this, just like we have gotten through everything else.”

“I know... but I _just_ got you back. I don’t want to be separated from you any longer.”

When Riku was training in the distant worlds unknown to Sora, it was manageable because they _couldn’t_ be together. Sora could hide away his feelings in letters sent to Riku and continue to focus on this work without anyone knowing. Now, he would have to resist the temptation to be by Riku’s side, holding his hand, pecking his cheek, taking long strolls with him as they told each other about all the things they had done... Riku was _right_ here and he would have to pretend like he wasn’t in love with him, all to follow these stupid rules.

“We have our whole lives ahead of us to be together, Sora. I know a few weeks sounds like a lot of time, but I promise you, it’ll be over before you realize. Days might seem long right now, but when the sun starts to set, we will look back and realize how short it truly was. The week will go by, then another... and another, and soon enough, I’ll be knocking on your door. And you know what will happen after that?”

“What?”

“We’ll be free,” Riku said, kissing Sora’s forehead, lingering there for a moment. Sora closed his eyes and savored the feeling of Riku’s touch. He figured this might be the last time in a long while before he would be able to feel it again.

“Thank you, Riku. We can do this.”

Riku then leaned down and pinched the stem of a flower between his fingers before plucking it up with a light snapping sound. He slipped the beautiful blue and white flower behind Sora’s ear and Sora reached up to touch it hesitantly before putting his arm back down, his eyes wide with affection.

Riku took Sora’s hand one last time and, in a knightly way, bowed and kissed his knuckles before saying, “We’ll be free before you can say ‘I love you’.” And with that he pulled away, Sora’s hand reaching for him as he slipped through Riku’s fingers.

Sora was left standing there by himself as he watched Riku walk further and further away from him, only looking back once to give him a soft stare with those green eyes of his. Once he was out of sight, Sora sighed and touched one of the large petals of the flower, staring down at the ground as he said, “I love you.”

* * *

The next few weeks proved to be difficult for Sora as he bumped into Riku all the time. On some occasions, they would just simply wave or say hello before parting ways, which got more painful each time it happened. On others, they would both pretend that they didn’t see each other, which made Sora’s heart sink to his stomach like rocks in a pond. It was like the universe was torturing them—testing to see how much of their love they could hold back in front of others. Sometimes, Sora would lay awake at night, staring out his window at the stars, wondering if Riku was doing the same. He would reach for the sky and pretend he was holding Riku’s hand on a moonlit stroll.

One late afternoon, while Sora was finishing up on a new keyblade, one with the wielder’s memory of her sister getting married, Sora’s mind couldn’t help but wander to Riku... which in turn, led him to think about the rules. “Master Yen Sid?” Sora started as he soaked a rag in water and began to wipe down his workstation for the day.

“Yes, Sora?”

Sora gulped as he tried to find the words. His heart was pounding like his hammer against heated steel. “Why is it forbidden for a blacksmith to fall in love with a wielder in training, but not a full-fledged wielder?”

Yen Sid seemed taken aback by the question, freezing in place for a moment and then letting out a sigh while his gaze fell to the floor and then looped back around to Sora. “It’ll lead the blacksmith to work with context and bias. This can happen for any relationship, whether if it’s family or friends, but romantic love can be too powerful for the heart to handle during the forging process.”

“What do you mean ‘work with context’?”

“When you work with strangers, with those you might only pass on the street without any words exchanged and no attachments built, you truly only work with that single memory they present to you. It’s a small fragment of their heart for which you have no clue what the surrounding memories are. But, when you work with someone you know, there is the chance you might start pulling away at their other memories—you might take more of their heart than they gave you until there is nothing left,” Yen Sid said, his tone an unreadable mixture of sorrow and seriousness.

Sora shot up and looked at his master with tears in his eyes that he couldn’t blink away, because his fear was too strong to control. “And t-that... that would—”

“End them,” Yen Sid finished. “Lovers are at the highest risk of this worst-case scenario because of how much their hearts ache for each other. Once the blade is made, there isn’t any lingering danger left to be concerned about.”

Sora, in an attempt to hide his face, looked down, allowing his bangs to cover his eyes. They stung with held-back tears.

“Nevertheless,” Yen Sid started, and Sora’s head lifted slightly as a small glimmer of hope began to shine in his heart, “there are blacksmiths that specialize in relationship crafting since they believe in making stronger keyblades with what they see in the person’s heart rather than just one simple memory. It takes an incredible amount of focus and precision to pick out the smallest and most important details, working with the surrounding memories without damaging them or the wielder during the procedure. Maybe that’s a field that interests you, Sora?”

Sora had no clue how much Yen Sid knew. If he had to make a guess, the wise old man probably knew exactly who Sora’s heart was calling out for. “R-really? That’s a thing?” Sora felt his heart leap at the knowledge that there was a chance that he could still do this. And Riku would be okay.

Yen Sid took a step forward and placed a comforting hand on Sora’s shoulder. “I know you care deeply for others. I see it not only in the way you work, but in the way you live. You build connections with everyone you meet. I can see why this was a fear of yours. Once your official training is over, I wouldn’t mind continuing to assist you in learning to perfect this alternative craft.”

Sora felt his stomach twist in a quick snap for a moment. More training? It wasn’t something he could do on his own...? He opened his mouth only to quickly shut it again, realizing if he told Yen Sid why he needed this skill _now_ , he would be getting both himself and Riku in a lot of trouble—the kind of trouble that would have them separated for a long, long time. And that was not something he could live with.

With a shaking, fake smile and a nod, Sora said, “I would love that, Master!”

Next, Yen Sid spoke with a proud and sweet smile, but his words made Sora’s heart turn into stone and plummet down into his knotted stomach. “Sora, I think you’re ready. Ready to become your own blacksmith.”

The day Sora had always looked forward to was now a day he wished had never come.

* * *

Sora’s restless heart that beat against his rib cage like an angry hammer kept him twisting and turning all throughout the night. As he finished up his work and prepared for Riku to come in, his anxiety grew worse. He was shaking and he couldn’t hide the dark circles under his eyes that turned the brilliant ocean-blue of his irises into dark, faded shades that looked like they belonged on a ghost. He desperately wished he could focus on the small fragments of hope his master had given him, but he couldn’t shake this weight that shackled every part of him down.

He didn’t even have the strength to lie and say he believed in himself.

He heard a knock and hesitated to move before biting his lip and shouting, “Come in!”

He couldn’t even pull himself to turn around and greet them because he knew who was at that doorway.

“Good morning, Sora!” Riku said, and that’s when Sora noticed something—his voice was trembling, too.

It took all of Sora’s strength, but he turned and saw how Riku was attempting to look brave and prepared, but his body was shaking from head to toe. “You nervous?”

Riku shrugged. “That obvious, huh? You don’t look too well yourself.”

Sora’s glance fell to the floor. “Y-yeah... I don’t want to...” He looked up for a split second and immediately regretted it because he met Riku’s eyes and felt himself shatter and melt all at the same time. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Sora felt Riku cup his cheek, and he gave him a loving gaze that got Sora to feel safe again, even if it was only for that moment. “I believe in you, Sora. No matter what happens, we are in this together and we will make it through.”

A tiny grin crept onto Sora’s cheeks—only Riku could ever get him to feel this way and he believed in his words. “Okay. Then, let’s get started.”

Sora went over the procedure with Riku as he did with all his customers, making sure they knew exactly what they were getting into and exactly what Sora was going to do to them. As Sora described the pain, he saw Riku try to conceal a flinch, which made his lungs seize up briefly. But he kept going, never able to look Riku in the eyes for more than a few seconds.

“Do you wish to proceed?” Sora asked. With a gulp, Riku said, “Yes.”

Sora felt his heart start to race as there was no stopping this now. There was no turning back and Riku’s life was in Sora’s hands. “Okay, take a moment to prepare the memory—”

“I don’t need a minute. I am all ready to go.”

“Are you sure?” Normally, it would take someone a while to isolate the memory and prepare for extraction—even the most skilled wielders would need a few minutes.

Riku took Sora’s hands and gave him a beautiful, longing stare that overflowed Sora with the trust and love he always had for him. “I have known for a _long_ time that this was the memory that was going to become my keyblade someday. Not a single day has gone by where it hasn’t replayed in my heart,” he said, rubbing soothing circles into Sora’s knuckles. “I don’t need a moment to prepare because I have _always_ been prepared.”

As their eyes locked onto each other, Sora could see the light within Riku’s heart and how it shined so brightly on him. It brought him warmth and comfort and it never let him feel alone.

In that moment, Sora couldn’t help but push himself up on his tiptoes and plant a delicate kiss on Riku’s soft cheek. Riku looked surprised, but one blink later, Sora found himself being pulled into a deep, long kiss. His love’s arms wrapped tight around him as they both savored this forbidden moment. They had shared many secret kisses before, but none of them had been quite as emotional as this one. Sora clung to Riku as if he was dangling off the edge of a cliff and his grip was slipping.

When Riku broke the kiss, Sora felt the crack in his heart grow and he bit his lip.

“We probably shouldn’t—”

Those were the words Sora dreaded to hear the most from him, but he shook his head and put his finger to Riku’s lips. “Think of it as you wishing me luck.” He smiled weakly as he moved his hand from his lips down to his chest. Sora spread out his fingers over where Riku’s heart rested. Sora took a deep breath and said, “Open yourself up to me, Riku.”

They began to breathe in unison, and Sora could feel himself slip through the reality they both knew as he slowly dived into Riku’s heart. Without having to open his eyes, he knew that all around him was pitch black, but he could hear a melody, one that was so alluring and familiar— it was unlike any of the other songs he had heard before. It made him feel at home.

He trusted himself to follow it and when his eyes finally stirred open, he found himself not looking down, but looking up at a purple glow. A circular piece of stained glass with heart symbols on its edges and an open-eyed Riku spread across the left side welcomed Sora.

Sora floated closer to it and placed a hand on one of the many circles that represented the core memories and people that made up Riku’s heart. He ran his fingertips up and down the smooth glass until something sparked and shimmered, and Sora moved closer to it—close enough that his nose was nearly touching the glass.

There, a memory began to play out like a faded movie, and he felt his heart nearly stop at what he was witnessing.

“Riku! Riku!” he heard a child call out. “What if one of the shooting stars comes crashing down here?”

The child clung to his friend as he cried and shivered in fright. The night sky above them was lit up with dozens upon dozens of dancing stars as they fell to the edge of the horizon in a perfect pattern together.

The young Riku was entranced by the lights above, but not so much that he couldn’t rip his attention away from the beautiful sight and focus on the boy. Riku smiled and patted the boy’s head. “If any of them come over here, I’ll protect you!” he shouted with confidence as he held up his wooden sword high in the air with his free arm.

Sora felt his lip quiver, trying to hold back his tears as he watched. “You will?” the boy stuttered as he sniffled.

“Of course!” Then, Riku pulled away from the boy and reached into his pocket. “Here, take this.” He handed a small, silver trinket over. “This is my lucky necklace, it has always kept me safe, and now, it can keep you safe too!”

The boy let out a laugh between his sobs, and Riku helped put the necklace around his neck. It dangled low on the boy’s small body—it was certainly meant to be something for Riku to grow into, but it would never be worn by Riku again.

Sora slowly reached his hand up to his collar bone where a metal trinket had rested for as long as he could remember. A silver crown that was once given to him by his best friend.

_I’ll protect you, Sora._ He heard Riku’s thoughts echo around the Station of Waking and felt them surround him with an overwhelming amount of love. _I’ll always protect the things that matter._

Sora felt his heart burst, and tears rushed down the sides of his cheeks where they pooled and dripped off his chin, for the realization hit him that this was the day Riku had decided to become a keyblade wielder. He could feel it as he smoothly cut the memory from his heart and cupped it in his hands. He held it close to his chest as he listened to the melody that called out for none other than Sora’s heart.

Sora’s eyes darted open when something heavy began to lean on him. Riku had fallen into his arms and Sora tried to help him stand up straight. “You okay?” he asked. “Sorry, I should have warned you about the dizziness—”

“No, no. It’s okay.” Riku attempted to take a step forward, only to groan and fall to his knees.

“Let’s get you to the bed.”

Sora placed the glowing fragment of Riku’s heart down at his workstation, his eyes lingering on it for a moment, before he snapped himself out of it and tugged Riku’s arm around his shoulder. He carried— or rather, dragged—Riku to the bed and laid him down. Sora poured him a cup of water and held it to Riku’s lips. He held the back of Riku’s head as he heard him gulp before resting his heavy skull back down.

Riku let out a small chuckle. “I didn’t expect to feel like crap so fast.”

“Well, having a piece of your heart removed isn’t necessarily an easy experience to go through, you know?” Sora joked as his smile turned sad. “This isn’t even the worst of it.”

Riku, with trembling hands, placed them over Sora’s. “Hey, I believe in you and I’ll repeat that as many times as needed.”

Sora hesitated, holding his breath. “Thank you. I should get started. Shout if you need anything.”

And with that, Sora stood up and walked towards the forge. Sora held the shining fragment in his hands before leaving a sorrowful kiss on it, placing it into a container, and moving it into the fire.

Sora knew he would never forget Riku’s first scream that day.

* * *

The more Sora worked, the more he struggled to focus on that single memory alone. One thing led to another and he would remember more and more memories they had shared together—the games they played as children, the times Riku held his hand as he walked him home, the nights they snuck away together to watch the stars—and as these instances came to Sora’s mind, he couldn’t control his powers and he watched the heart fragment grow bigger as Riku’s condition grew worse. His body was overheating, his breaths were uneven and shallow, and he was constantly groaning in pain—clutching his chest as if there was a massive hole there causing him to bleed out.

After a week of torturous work, Sora finally broke down, leaning over the half-made keyblade, and sobbed loudly as he couldn’t ignore the truth anymore. He was killing Riku.

He was draining the very essence out of Riku’s heart with each pound of his hammer, with each carving, with each remembrance.

And when he called his master for help, to receive some hope that this could be undone, Yen Sid took one look at Riku and his face turned pale. “The worst hardship a blacksmith will ever have to face is failure. We all have been through this.”

“No, no, no. What are you saying?” Sora clung to Yen Sid’s sleeve as if it was a lifeline.

“Riku isn’t going to make it. I am sorry.”

The world went dark. Sora couldn’t see or hear anything, not even his own heartbeat. Every beginning thought he had vanished into the void and his head turned blank.

“I’m sorry.” Sora started in a broken voice. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

He felt a hand on his back, and he heard his master’s voice, but he was too lost in a fog to hear anything he said. He heard the door shut behind him and he knew he was all alone with Riku’s dying body.

He stumbled his way over to the edge of the bed where he sat down, his eyes still wide and in shock. When he inched his glance down to Riku, he saw the way his lips shook as he breathed and how all the color had drained from his body. He pushed Riku’s bangs out of his eyes and placed a cool cloth down on his forehead in an emotionless motion.

Then, like a harsh wave crashing into a cracked rock, Sora felt everything hit him at once, and he collapsed on top of Riku and clung to his shirt as he cried into his chest. He could hear the small, trying heartbeat echoing from Riku’s ribs, and he felt the weight of the world push down on him. He didn’t want Riku to leave him—this was all his fault.

But... as he listened to the familiar tune of Riku’s heart, something came to him. He slowly lifted his head, and suddenly his eyes filled with determination. “Riku,” Sora started, “keep fighting. Don’t give up on me just yet.”

He quickly put on his gear as he headed to his workstation and then placed his hand over his heart. He concentrated on his own melody before he felt himself transported to the soft blues of his own heart station. He fell to his knees as he began searching near the bubble that contained a picture of Riku. He dug through what seemed like dozens of memories, but each one he swiped away until he felt a spark touch his fingertips and he smiled, knowing he had found the one. He watched the memory play out like before. It was a little blurrier than Riku’s, but it would work.

Biting his lip, he reached inside his heart and carved out the piece he needed. It stung and made his chest feel light and weak. It was hard to breathe, and his head was spinning, but he had to ignore any and all pain that came his way. He forced himself to his feet and back into reality.

His vision was blurry, but he didn’t care. He knew where everything was and exactly what to do—he would do it with his eyes closed if that’s what it took. He clung to the table to prevent himself from losing balance and falling to the floor, and he put the piece of his heart into the same container as before and braced himself.

He inched the container near the flames, and he could already feel the heat start to eat him from the inside out, but if this is what it took to protect Riku, then it was worth it.

He flinched and shoved the container all the way in, and he had never felt a pain more intense. He bit down on his tongue and dug his nails into his thighs. He wasn’t going to scream. He refused to scream after all the pain he caused Riku. He grabbed a nearby towel and shoved it into his mouth.

He grabbed his hammer and pulled out the molten heart fragment. He stared down at the keyblade with no fear in his eyes and through the pain, he got back to work.

* * *

The world fluttered open as he heard birds chirping their morning songs outside his window. How long had he been asleep? All he could remember was the heat and the pain that had encompassed his entire body but slowly faded out, turning into manageable soreness.

He forced himself to sit up, and he felt all his muscles ache in resistance as he did so. He tried to stand up, only to barely lift his legs an inch and fall back down again. He tried to shake it off and used the walls and tables close to him as crutches.

As he made his way through the shop, his thoughts were swimming with questions about what had happened. Was it over? Were they free?

Then, he saw the person he loved the most standing on the other side of the room and he immediately felt his spirit lift in an unbelievable joy. “Hey,” he started, “good morning—I think?” He let out a chuckle as he continued to make his way over. When he got no answer, he grew worried. “Sora? Are you okay?”

Riku saw him leaning over his workstation table, covered in sweat and breathing heavily. He watched Sora nod once before he turned his head slightly towards him. “Riku... you’re okay...”

“Of course I am okay!”

“Riku...” Sora’s eyes began to well up with tears as he grabbed the keyblade off the table and handed it to him. “I did it.” He shot Riku a smile, but there was something off about him. Riku couldn’t help but notice the nearly black circles under Sora’s blue eyes and the way his body trembled as if there was an earthquake inside his ribs.

Sora handed the keyblade over to Riku, and Riku felt a surge of energy course through his body the second he made contact with it. It was much larger than he expected, and it looked as though it was split in half. One side was a brilliant gold that created stained-glass wings filled with various warm colors, whereas the handle faded into a light blue that reminded Riku of Sora’s eyes. The other side was all cool colors that reminded Riku of the ocean. The handle was purple, and all the while he could see the shimmering colors move and shimmer against the light, just as the sun would do against the sea. The two stained-glass wings at the top protected a yellow heart that worked as the top of the blade. Riku was almost hesitant to use a piece of art this beautiful against creatures of darkness. There was one odd thing about it, though: there were two handles.

“Sora, what is—”

Right as he took his eyes off the blade, he noticed Sora sway as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Riku threw the keyblade to the ground and caught Sora, his skin practically burning through Riku’s. Riku called out his name over and over, but there was no response.

* * *

The familiar feeling of soothing circles being rubbed into his knuckles stirred him awake, and the world was blurry, but bright. He couldn’t even tell where he was, but he could see the silver hair of someone he loved looming over him. “Ri... Rik...” No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get his voice to escape from his lips. It took too much energy, and he was all too tired.

“Sora?” He heard Riku call out. “Sora, I am here.”

He loved the way Riku said his name. It made him chuckle. “I... I’m... s... sorry.”

“For what?”

“Near... ly... killing... you.”

“Shh, no. You didn’t. You made the strongest keyblade I have ever seen... I-I don’t even know how you did it,” Riku said while brushing his fingers through Sora’s hair. It felt so nice and cooling, and he never wanted him to stop.

Sora let out a chuckle before a cough interrupted him. “By... breaking t... the rules...” Sora felt his head grow heavy and roll slightly on the pillow. It was hard to stay awake. He was so exhausted, and he just wanted to sleep with Riku by his side.

“Sora!” Riku said in a broken voice. “Sora, please, you can’t do this to me... I love you!”

“P-please don’t... cry... I’m... happy.” Sora took a deep breath as he reached for Riku and swiftly took his weak hand. “I love... you t-too...”

Then, Riku pulled Sora’s hand up to his lips to press a kiss to his knuckle as a tear escaped his eyes. Suddenly, a burst of energy ran through both of them, and they heard a harmony unlike anything either of them had heard before. There was a flash of light, and between their intertwined fingers was the keyblade.

Sora felt all the fatigue leave his body and he sat up; his eyes wide as they fell onto the blade before a laugh broke his shock. He couldn’t help himself as he leaned closer to Riku.

“What just happened?” Riku asked.

“I told you, I broke the rules.” Sora looked up at Riku with a beaming smile and he watched it click for Riku.

“You don’t mean—”

There was a knock at the door, and it wasn’t a friendly one. They heard shouting from Master Yen Sid and what sounded like a few others. They knew, but, oddly, Sora didn’t care. “Blacksmiths are never supposed to make keyblades for themselves. I had made this one for us, but it seems that we are at the end of the line.”

“What’s going to happen to us?”

Sora shrugged. “I don’t know, but at least we’ll go through it together.”

Like a flash of lightning, Sora saw Riku’s expression change from worried to determined. “No, nothing is ever going to get in the way of our freedom.”

And then, with Sora still holding on, Riku pointed the keyblade forward and created a portal. Sora’s hair blew behind him as he felt a shiver run down his spine. “Shall we?”

A grin grew on Sora’s face as he nodded, and the two jumped through, the portal closing quickly behind them as they landed on hot sand.

“Where are we?” Sora asked.

It was a small island, filled with large trees and beautiful waterfalls. The sky was a clear blue and it touched the horizon and met with the sea. Then, Sora’s eyes were drawn to a bent tree with star-shaped fruits.

“Destiny Islands,” Riku said, and Sora watched him take in the breeze and smile happily at the sound of the waves. “This is where that legend came from.”

“The fruit...?”

Riku nodded. “I never did get to tell you that legend, did I? Well, they say, if two people share a paopu fruit, their destinies will be intertwined.”

Sora then looked down at the keyblade that still rested between their fingers and he let out a small giggle. “Riku. Riku, look.” Sora lifted up the keychain that dangled off the bottom.

With a beaming face, Riku laughed and took the star-shaped keychain from Sora. “It even has the leaves on it... How did you know?”

“I didn’t... It just felt like the right shape to craft. I think it came from the moment when our hearts melded together.”

Sora felt Riku press his forehead against his own. Then, Riku said, “I don’t think we need to share those fruits anymore; our destinies are already intertwined.”

Sora smiled, a bright blue glowing on his cheeks. “I suppose you’re right. I love you, Riku.”

“I love you too, Sora.”

The two leaned in to kiss each other with the keyblade still in their hands.

As it would be for the lifetimes to come, no matter what form their hearts took, they would forever and always find each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading and again, please check out the entire collection! <3


End file.
